


I know a girl. She puts the color inside of my world.

by 4thofFive



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-31
Updated: 2014-12-31
Packaged: 2018-03-04 15:16:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,694
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3072650
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/4thofFive/pseuds/4thofFive
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve becomes so wrapped up in his and Danny's new baby that he begins to neglect his relationship with Grace.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I know a girl. She puts the color inside of my world.

**Author's Note:**

> Title from the song 'Daughters' by John Mayer.
> 
> Happy New Year everyone.

Danny woke just after 3 a.m. to find the bed beside him empty and cold. In the first couple of years of his relationship with Steve this would have worried him. He would expect to find his husband pacing the house or sitting alone on the darkened beach trying to work through the last vestiges of some terrible nightmare. But this morning Danny knew exactly where his husband was and what he was doing.

The blond detective climbed wearily out of bed and pulled on some sleep pants before opening the door of their room and walking softly down the carpeted hallway scratching at an itch on his back as he went. He pushed open the door to the nursery and sure enough, there was Steve standing in the room leaning over the crib of their two month old daughter, a soft smile on his face.

“Babe,” Danny whispered coming up beside Steve and wrapping an arm around his husband’s waist slipping his hand up under the faded Navy SEAL tee-shirt and pressing his palm against warm skin. “You can’t keep doing this every night. You need your sleep and so does Norah.”

Steve shrugged slightly in the dark and returned his eyes to his sleeping daughter. He reached out gently using one finger to try to control the flyaway dark hair on her perfect little head.

“I’m not bothering her,” Steve whispered back. “I just…I thought I heard her make a noise so I came to check on her.”

Danny rolled his eyes and suppressed a smile. Steve had taken to waking up at least once a night to check on their daughter but it had nothing to do with worry. He’d never seen another father so madly in love with their child as Steve was with Norah. Danny could remember being enthralled, entranced and doting when Grace was born – still was really – but Steve, it was like Steve kept trying to ensure this wasn’t a dream. 

Danny knew his husband had given up any hope of having a child of his own and was perfectly contented to be a step-father to Grace. But when a friend of theirs had offered to be a surrogate for the couple, the two men had accepted the offer gratefully. The artificial insemination had been accomplished through the “swirl” method, mixing the sperm of both men and inseminating the mother. Naturally Steve’s sperm, like the rest of super SEAL, won the race to the finish line and Norah was the spitting image of her gorgeous father.

“Well, she seems fine so why don’t you come back to bed?” Danny prompted quietly.

Steve glanced at Danny and gave him a somewhat apologetic smile.

“You must think I’m an idiot, Danny. I just can’t seem to get enough of her.”

Danny wrapped his other arm around Steve’s waist and Steve pulled him tight against his body.

“I don’t think you’re an idiot, babe. I think you’re a man who adores his child. There’s nothing wrong with that. But you’re also the step-dad of a teenager and the head of a busy task force and all of those things require a good night’s sleep. Not to mention the need to keep up with a sexual dynamo like me.”

Steve snorted a laugh and leaned over slightly and dropped a kiss on his husband’s head.

“You’re right. Let’s head back to bed.”

Walking arm-in-arm, the two men crept quietly out of their daughter’s room and down the hall to their own bedroom. After climbing under the sheets, Steve cuddled close to Danny and lay his head on his husband’s shoulder.

“I just can’t get over how perfect she is. She’s beautiful.”

“She’s her father’s daughter,” Danny responded with a yawn.

“Do you think she’s warm enough in there?” asked Steve, moving as if to stand up again. “Maybe I should…”

“Steven!” Danny replied sharply, tightening his grip on his husband’s arms. “She’s fine babe. The monitor is on. If she needs anything we’ll hear her ok? Try to get some sleep.”

Steve paused briefly as if considering his options then sank down against Danny’s chest once again. 

“Yeah, you’re right. Sorry Danno.”

Danny snuffled and closed his eyes shifting a little closer to Steve.

“It’s ok babe. It’s normal. Everything’s fine, ok? She’s happy and healthy and you’re a great dad.”

Danny could almost feel Steve glow with happiness at that.

“Thank you, babe.”

**********

Danny turned as a rumpled looking Grace trudged into the kitchen just after 7 the next morning. His daughter was no more of a morning person than he was but at least she didn’t tend to get grumpy like he often did. He smiled at his tall, beautiful 13-year-old and handed her a glass of pineapple juice then returned to the stove to continue fixing her scrambled eggs.

“Good morning Monkey. How did you sleep?”

“Morning Danno,” the young woman responded, her voice still a bit scratchy from sleep. “I slept ok. Where’s Steve?”

Danny cocked his head toward the lanai door.

“He’s got Norah out there in the ocean with him. I swear she’ll be swimming long before she’s walking.”

“Oh,” Grace replied flatly getting up from behind the table to walk to the kitchen window. She looked out to see her step-father gently bobbing Norah in the warm Pacific water.

“We were supposed to go swimming this morning,” Grace said neutrally. “I thought he would wake me.”

“Maybe he thought he should let you sleep in,” responded Danny as he spooned some eggs along with fruit and whole grain toast onto her plate and walked it over to the kitchen table. “You can swim with him after work. Better get a move on now if you want to get to school on time.”

Grace nodded slowly and watched Steve and her sister for a moment before returning to the table. She sat down and picked up a fork and began digging into her meal as her father loaded up the dishwasher.

“I have a big science test tomorrow. Do you think Steve will help me study for it tonight?”

Danny shut the dishwasher door and rinsed out the sink.

“I’m sure he will once Norah is in bed. Bring home whatever you need to prepare and you can work on it before bed, ok?”

Grace sighed softly and took another bite of her food.

“OK.”

**********

Grace tapped her pencil loudly on her text book as she sat at the kitchen table and tried to read over the chapter again. It was 8:45 and Norah had gone to bed well over an hour ago. Steve had promised to come down and help her prepare for her science test but he hadn’t shown up and she had to go to bed in 45 minutes.

Grace blew out an annoyed breath and climbed to her feet and wandered into the living room where Danno was watching a baseball game. He looked up at her and smiled as she entered the room.

“How’s the studying going, babe?”

Grace pressed her lips together in annoyance.

“Steve was supposed to help me but he hasn’t shown up yet.”

“I think he’s just putting Norah down sweetie.”

“That was almost an hour ago and he hasn’t come back.”

Danny pressed the remote to turn off the TV and stood.

“I can help you.”

Grace shook her head and huffed in annoyance.

“This is biology, Danno. Steve’s better at this stuff. You do the math and language arts and Steve does the science.”

Danny patted the air to calm an obviously agitated Grace.

“OK, it’s no big deal alight? Why don’t you just run upstairs and ask him for help. Maybe he forgot.”

“He always forgets,” Grace muttered, kicking one couch leg lightly with her slippered toe.

“What was that?”

Grace shook her head dismissively.

“Nothing. I’ll go see what’s keeping him.”

The young woman turned and trotted up the stairs in search of her step-father. She glanced through his and Danno’s bedroom before walking farther down the hall to that of her sister. Grace pushed open the door and stopped short at the sight of her step-father asleep on the easy chair beside the baby’s crib. His long legs were stretched out in front of him and his head was thrown back as he snored softly.

Grace pursed her lips together and stepped back out of the bedroom fighting down the desire to slam the door to wake both Steve and Norah. The young girl turned and stormed back down the stairs making little effort to be quiet. She marched into the kitchen and began gathering up her books and note pad.

Danny, who was pouring himself a glass of milk, looked over the top of the refrigerator at his daughter.

“Did you find him?”

Grace snorted her disgust as she slammed her books closed.

“He’s upstairs asleep in Norah’s room, as usual.”

Danny gave his daughter a sympathetic look.

“I’m sorry, babe. He’s had a busy day and he’s tired. Why don’t you let me help you with your homework? I’m not as good at science as Steve is but I can quiz you or something.”

Grace shook her head as she turned away from the table, clutching her books tightly to her chest. She kept her back to her father so he couldn’t see the tears pooling in her eyes.

“It’s fine,” she snapped back bitterly. “I’ll do it myself. I don’t need his help.”

“Grace…” 

“I’m going to finish studying in my room. Night, Danno.”

Danny watched sadly as his daughter hurried out of the room and up the stairs. He knew she’d been feeling a bit left out since the baby had been born and he’d tried to give her a bit of extra attention because of it, but he also knew he wasn’t the problem tonight. Steve, so consumed with his new daughter, had inadvertently started neglecting his older child.

**********

Danny stood on the beach the next morning waiting for Steve as his husband swam towards shore. The SEAL had just completed his 40 minute swim and Danny wanted to chat with him before Grace got up. Steve climbed out of the ocean and Danny took a moment to admire the sight of the sea water pouring down his husband’s chiseled body; a sight that never grew old.

“Danny?” Steve asked worriedly grabbing his towel off the nearby beach chair and trotting over to where Danny stood on the warming sand. “What’s wrong? Is the baby ok?”

Danny waved his hands dismissively.

“She’s fine, babe. I just wanted to talk to you for a moment.”

Steve gnawed his bottom lip and glanced up towards the house.

“You left her in there by herself?”

Danny tightened his jaw and jammed his fists onto his hips.

“Of course not, Steven. Grace is in there with Norah.”

“But…”

“Grace is 13 years old and has a baby brother she taken care of a few times, Steven. She can handle it. This isn’t my first rodeo. I do know what I’m doing.”

Steve nodded sheepishly began drying himself with the towel.

“Yeah, of course. Sorry Danno. Sometimes I forget how grown up she is. She can handle it. She was a big help to me after Norah was first born.”

Danny blew out a breath and forced himself to calm down. This conversation would have to be handled delicately. Steve was already worried about being a good father. If he thought he was letting Grace down it would shake his confidence. The blond man gestured towards the chairs.

“Sit down for a minute babe, I need to speak to you.”

Steve glanced again, almost longingly, towards the house then nodded. He perched on the very edge of one of the beach chairs as Danny sat in the other.

“Babe,” Danny began slowly. “I’m worried about Grace. I think she’s feeling a bit left out. The two of us have been kind of consumed by Norah and I think Grace needs a bit more of our attention.”

“Has she said something?” Steve asked worriedly. “Is she angry at us?”

Danny licked his lips and considered his next words.

“She hasn’t really said anything but I can read her pretty well. Between Norah and the job we’ve both been a bit distracted and I think she’s starting to feel it. I think we should both make an effort to spend a bit more one-on-one time with her.”

Steve nodded firmly.

“Ok, I’ll talk to her. Maybe she and I can go swimming this evening.”

Danny smiled and nodded.

“That sounds nice but since tomorrow is Saturday, I thought I could look after Norah for a while – she and I don’t get a lot of one-on-one time – and you could take Grace out somewhere.” 

Steve considered the idea for a moment obviously struggling with the thought of being separated from the baby for more than an hour outside of a work day.

“OK,” the dark-haired man answered with obviously forced enthusiasm. “I think that’s a nice idea. Let’s do it.”

Danny smiled and reached over to take Steve’s hand in his.

“That’s good babe. I know it’s hard to leave her but Grace needs this and I think we do too. You can spend more time with Grace and I can spend a bit more time with Norah.”

Steve stood and pulled Danny to his feet. He bent down to kiss his husband on the lips before standing up straight again.

“You’re right. I know I’ve been a bit obsessed with Norah. It will be good for me to separate from her just a little I suppose.”

**********

Grace was too old and far too cool to be tucked in anymore but Steve and Danny often stopped by her room and sat on the bed or on a nearby chair to chat with her for a few minutes in the evening. Steve realized, with some regret, that he’d done little more than poke his head in the door and wish her a good night since Norah came. The planned evening swim hadn’t happened since Steve and Danny got home late so he needed to make things up to his step-daughter in a big way.

Steve knocked on the door and when given permission, walked into Grace’s room and perched on the side of the bed. The teenaged girl set her book aside and looked up at him expectantly.

“You know,” Steve began tentatively. “Next week is Danno’s birthday and I need one more present.”

“I thought you got him that flight to New Jersey,” Grace replied, her eyes fixed on a loose thread on her comforter.

“Yeah I did, but he can’t really unwrap that so I was hoping you’d help me find something else. Something special.”

Grace shrugged with studied nonchalance. 

“I guess.”

“I was thinking that maybe tomorrow you and I could go to the North Shore Country Market or something and you could help me shop. We could have lunch and make a day of it.” 

Steve suppressed a smile at the way his step-daughter’s eyes lit up at that suggestion although she was doing her best to look cool.

“What do you think?” Steve prompted. “I know we haven’t had much time together for a while. I’d really like to spend some time with you. Will you come?”

Grace’s eyes slowly drifted up to Steve’s. She smiled and nodded.

“Yeah. I’d like that.”

Steve grinned happily and bent over to kiss her on the forehead.

“Me too. We’re going to have fun. Let’s leave at about 8:30 ok?”

By now Grace was smiling broadly and she nodded excitedly.

“Ok. I’ll be ready.”

Steve stood and leaned over again to kiss her once more on the forehead.

“Don’t read too late, ok?”

“I won’t.” 

Steve turned and walked toward the bedroom door but Grace’s voice made him stop and turned back.

“I love you, Steve.”

The SEAL swallowed thickly and cleared his throat a bit loudly. Since Grace had turned 13 she didn’t say ‘I love you” very often anymore.

“I love you too, sweetheart.”

**********

Steve stood by the front door holding Norah in his arms, a diaper bag over one shoulder. Grace scowled at the sight of her sister in her step-father’s arms.

“I thought Danno was going to look after Norah today?”

Steve made a regretful face.

“He got called in to see the Prosecuting Attorney about his testimony on Monday. I’m sorry sweetie.”

Grace made a disgusted sound deep in her throat and turned away as if to climb the stairs back to her room.

“She won’t be any trouble,” Steve urged, not wanting to completely ruin the day. “She’ll probably sleep most of the time. We can still go shopping and have lunch.”

“Can’t Aunt Kono look after her?” Grace pleaded. She’d so been looking forward to this afternoon with Steve and now Norah was going to spoil it. Just like she spoiled everything.

“I can’t ask her on such short notice,” Steve replied. He probably could ask Kono, who adored Norah, but the truth was he didn’t want to overburden her and…well frankly, he found it hard to leave his precious girl with someone else when he could care for her himself. Grace would just have to accept that.

“Come on,” Steve coaxed. “We can still have fun. If Danno finishes early he can come and get Norah. Let’s not change our plans, ok?”

Grace paused for a long time. She was tempted to just tell Steve to forget it and call her in like, 10 years, but she really wanted to spend the day with him. She let out a deep, aggrieved breath and nodded once allowing Steve to open the front door for her and usher her through.

Two hours later Grace was annoyed, disappointed and close to tears. Norah had started crying in the car and had barely stopped. In the restaurant Steve had had to walk her around in the foyer while Grace ate alone. Now they were in the market and while Norah had finally, finally stopped crying, Steve was trying to distract the baby with every sparkly, bright object meaning they were making no headway in finding a gift for Danno.

“Can we go over there?” Grace pleaded, pointing out a tee-shirt vendor an aisle over. Steve, who was grinning ear-to-ear as Norah stared at sea shell wind chimes, nodded distractedly. 

“Yeah, just a second.”

Grace sighed in annoyance.

“Ste-eve! The stalls are going to close soon. Let’s go.”

Steve nodded again even as he stepped closer to the wind chimes and watched as Norah stared at them enthralled by the light and movement.

“OK, just a second.”

Grace stomped her foot on the ground and glared at the back of Steve’s head. He was such a jerk! Why did he bring her along on this stupid trip if all he was going to do was give all his attention to his precious Norah? He did that at home anyway.

Grace opened her mouth to shout at her step-father then shut it when a better plan came to her. Danno was always telling her how grown up she was becoming. Maybe now was the time to prove it. She didn’t need stupid Steve to help her shop. She could do it on her own. Making a face at Steve’s back, Grace turned and marched away deciding to check out the stall herself. Steve could just come and find her when he was ready. Or maybe she’d take a cab home.

**********

Steve felt his heart stutter in his chest when he turned around to find Grace gone. He glanced around wildly trying to find her in the crowds but with no success.

“Grace!” He shouted, the volume of his voice startling several nearby shoppers. “Grace!”

Steve paused for a moment and concentrated on slowing his heart rate. The last thing he needed to do was panic. Navy SEALS don’t panic. Digging into one of the many pockets of his cargo pants, Steve pulled out his phone and dialed Grace’s number. He waited anxiously as it rang then huffed in annoyance when her voice mail kicked in. He jabbed the disconnect button and stopped to think. What had Grace said to him a few moments ago? She wanted to go look at tee shirts; that was it!

Steve looked around again, clutching Norah tightly to his chest. The only problem was there were several tee shirt vendors in the market. But Grace had pointed out a nearby kiosk hadn’t she? Steve did a complete 360 and saw two tee shirt vendors nearby. Pushing his way through the crowd, Steve approached the first vendor one aisle over.

“Excuse me,” Steve tried to get the vendor’s attention away from a young woman in a floral sundress who was trying to decide between two tee shirts that looked the same to Steve. “Did you serve a little girl a few moments ago? She’s 13, dark hair…”

The tee shirt vendor gave Steve an annoyed glance and held up one hand.

“Just a second will you? I’m serving someone else.”

Steve stepped up to the vendor until his face was inches from the other man’s.

“I’m looking for my daughter,” the SEAL growled, low and angry. “She’s 13, long brown hair. She was wearing a yellow tank top and khaki shorts. Have you seen her?”

The vendor took a step back and blinked up at Steve nervously.

“I ahh, I think she was here. Didn’t buy anything. She left.”

“Which direction?” Steve demanded.

The vendor pointed a shaking hand towards the east and Steve nodded once before heading off.

 

 

**********

Grace sat on the curb drinking a Pepsi and watching the tourists and locals wander around the booths of the market. She’d left Steve’s side about a half hour ago and had been walking around on her own. She was starting to feel a bit nervous but was determined not to give into it. She knew Steve would be mad at her but he didn’t have any right to be mad as far as she was concerned. He’d totally ignored her today after promising that they would shop, so she had every right to go off by herself. She’d ignored his phone calls too but that was no big deal. He probably had a tracker on her phone so he would find her. Naturally Danno would freak when he found out what she’d done but maybe next time they wouldn’t make promises and break them.

Grace felt her phone vibrating in her pocket for the 10th time. She pulled it out ready to press the ignore call button when Danno’s name came up on the screen. If Steve had called Danno that meant he was very worried. This was a call she didn’t dare ignore.

“Hello?”

“Grace? Where are you?” Danno’s voice was dangerously quiet and she knew she was in trouble.

“At the North Shore Country Market,” the teenager answered with more bravado than she felt.

“Where specifically?” Danno demanded, brooking no more crap.

Grace sighed.

“Just in front of the elementary school sign,” she answered softly.

“Stay there. Do not move until Steve comes to get you. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Danno.”

“We are going to talk about this when you get home young lady.”

The phone went dead in her hand and Grace began chewing her bottom lip nervously. She was in deep trouble. Several moments later the young woman scrambled to her feet and shifted nervously as Steve strode up to her, a hard expression on his face.

“Damn it Grace, what were you thinking walking away from me like that? You scared the hell out of me. And why didn’t you answer your phone?”

“I wanted to go shopping,” she replied obstinately, her gaze kept firmly on the ground.

“And you couldn’t wait a few minutes for me? You’ve got some nerve just wandering off like that and scaring me. Danno’s furious with both of us thanks to you. Imagine how it felt to have to phone him and tell him I’d lost our daughter…”

Grace flushed in sudden rage and glared up at Steve, her hands fisted.

“I’m not your daughter. Norah’s your daughter. She’s the only one you care about. The only one you love. I could have walked into the ocean and drowned and you wouldn’t have noticed.”

Steve paled visibly and stared at his step-daughter in horror.

“What? How can you say that? I love you and…”

“I want to go home!” Grace shouted then burst into tears. “I want to go home right now!”

**********

Danny stood at the kitchen window and sighed in frustration. Grace was upstairs weeping and Steve was on the beach sitting slumped dejectedly in the sand. Norah was in her crib enjoying a much-needed afternoon nap, oblivious to all the trouble in the house.

When the trio had arrived home a half hour ago, Danny stood at the front door ready to yell but had instead faced a sobbing Grace who pushed past him and ran up the stairs to her room, and an angry Steve who pushed a sleepy Norah into his arms and made a bee line through the house and out to the beach.

With another sigh Danny opened the back door and walked down the beach to sink down into the sand next to his husband. The two men sat quietly for a few moments before Steve finally spoke.

“I’m fucking everything up, just like I knew I would.”

Danny shook his head firmly and rubbed Steve’s back with one hand.

“No, you’re not babe.”

Steve rubbed his face tiredly.

“I wanted to be a great parent to both my girls.”

“You are. Maybe you’ve made a few mistakes along the way but who doesn’t? You’re a great dad.”

Steve looked over at Danny, his face a picture of misery.

“I wanted to be an awesome dad like you. You’re so perfect with Grace.”

Danny snorted and huffed out a laugh at that.

“Steve, no parent is perfect. I’ve done stupid things, said stupid things that have hurt her. It’s pretty much par for the course as a parent. You don’t do this job without making a mess of it once in a while. Don’t set yourself up for disappointment by thinking you’re going to be perfect because buddy, you ain’t.”

“Grace thinks I don’t love her as much as I love Norah, but I do Danno. I do.”

Danny leaned into his husband and rested his head on Steve’s shoulder.

“I know you do babe, and deep down she knows it too. She’s just jealous right now and feeling a bit left out. You need to talk to her, to explain how you feel. Ask her to be patient with you. Maybe instead of trying to be the perfect dad, which you’ll never achieve because none of us can, try to be a flawed dad who admits his mistakes and assures his children he will always love them.”

Steve stared out to sea for a long moment then nodded slowly.

“I’d better go talk to her.”

Danny sat up and gave Steve a reassuring pat on the back.

“I think that’s a good idea.”

**********

Steve opened Grace’s bedroom door and felt his heart sink at the sight of his step-daughter lying face down on her bed, her face buried in a pillow. He could hear soft sniffling and it broke his heart a little.

Taking a fortifying breath, Steve walked quietly over to her bed and sat down on the edge of it. He gave Grace’s shoulder a little squeeze and tugged it lightly.

“Gracie? Can you turn over so I can talk to you?”

“I don’t want to talk to you,” came a muffled voice.

“Well then you can just listen, ok? Please turn over.”

After a brief hesitation, Grace rolled over onto her back and crossed her arms tightly on her chest, her lips pressed together and her eyes kept firmly on the wall. Steve was overwhelmed with guilt at the sight of her wet face and puffy eyes.

“Sweetie, what you did today was wrong and were going to have to talk about punishment later, but first of all I want to apologize to you and ask you to forgive me.”

Grace glanced over at Steve in surprise for a moment then looked away, hardening her face once again.

“I know I’ve been too wrapped up in Norah and I’ve been neglecting you and for that I am truly sorry.”

Grace’s bottom lip began to quiver as she struggled to maintain her composure.

“You love her more than me.”

Steve sighed heavily and let his shoulders slump.

“I don’t sweetie, I really don’t it’s just…” Steve scratched a hand through his hair and stared at the bedroom wall for a moment before looking back at his daughter. He nudged her hip with his hand until she looked up at him. “Sit up ok, so I can sit beside you. I need to get comfortable while I tell you what I’m going to tell you.”

Grace slowly sat up and pulled herself up the bed to sit against the headboard. She shifted aside so Steve could sit next to her, also leaning against the headboard. Steve paused for a moment to collect his thoughts before finally speaking.

“Sweetie, this life I have here with you and Danno and Norah, it’s one I never, ever thought I’d have. I never believed that I would have a family of my own. I was certain that I would be in the Navy forever and that I’d eventually die on some overseas mission and I’d decided that was fine.”

Grace looked up at Steve in horror but stayed silent.

“When my mother died – or so I thought – and my father sent Mary and me away, I decided that I would never become involved with anyone too seriously. I would never marry and I would never have children because I was determined I wouldn’t do to my children what my father did to me. I would never risk the possibility of hurting them or making them feel unwanted.”

Steve shifted nervously on the bed but pressed on.

“I’ve had a few relationships in my life and I’ve even loved a few people – Catherine for one – but I never allowed myself to fall in love with them or to open myself emotionally to them…until Danno came along.”

Steve smiled down at his step-daughter. 

“You know how Danno is. If he decides he likes you and he’s going to be your friend then he makes it happen. If I tried to close an emotional door, he’d climb in through a window. Keeping him out of my life was like asking the wind not to blow.”

Grace giggled and nodded. Her father had that effect on people.

“Then, when he’d found a way in he got all the way in and suddenly I realized I was in love with him. That scared me and thrilled me at the same time. So not only did I break my rule and fall in love, I also ended up with a beautiful, smart, funny daughter – something I was sure I’d never have. I was happy in a way that I never dreamed possible.”

Steve licked his lips nervously and clasped his hands tightly on his lap.

“Then all of a sudden, Danno and I had the chance to have a baby of our own and I would have the opportunity to raise a baby from birth. You were seven when I met you so I didn’t get to see you as a baby and a small part of me missed not being a part of that. So when we got the chance to make Norah, I was excited by the possibility of being there from the very beginning, you know?”

Grace nodded slowly and Steve took one of her small hands in his and held it firmly. He looked pointedly into her eyes.

“Norah is so small and helpless and dependent on us for everything that I couldn’t help become a bit wrapped up in her, but that does not mean that I love her more than you or that she is more important than you. I love you, Grace Williams, very much, and you will always be my special little girl. You taught me how to be a father and now I want to share those lessons with Norah. If I’m a decent father it’s because I have an amazing daughter who taught me everything I know.”

Grace blinked rapidly but shook her head.

“That’s not true. You’ve always had it in you to be a good dad.”

Steve couldn’t help but grin at that.

“Thank you baby, that means a lot to me. But I know I’ve been dropping the ball with you over the last two months. I’ve been so wrapped up in your baby sister that I’ve neglected you and I’m sorry for that. I need you to be patient with me, Gracie. I’ll do better and be more attentive, I promise, but I need you to tell me when you’re feeling bad or neglected ok? I still have a lot to learn about being a dad and I need you to help me.”

Grace squeezed her eyes together and sank against Steve who wrapped an arm tightly around her shoulders.

“I’m sorry, Steve,” the young woman choked out. “You haven’t been bad I’ve just been jealous. I’m used to having you all to myself. I thought I was ready to share you with Norah but I guess I wasn’t.”

Steve held Grace tightly and kissed her on the top of the head.

“I guess we both have a lot to learn. Let’s try to work it out together, ok?”

Grace nodded and wrapped her arms around Steve’s midsection.

“I love you, Steve.”

Steve let out a shaky sigh and rested his chin on the top of Grace’s head.

“I love you too, baby. So much.”

 

The end.


End file.
